Upsides to Being a Genius
by QueenPersephoneofHades
Summary: A collection of Honeydashi one-shots because these two are adorable and nobody can tell me otherwise. 3: She isn't used to dates and boyfriends and whatnot; luckily, a friend is more than willing to be the wingman and help her get the guy.
1. After Hours

The lab was really quiet at night.

She hadn't planned on coming in this late – to be completely honest, walking around on campus at night with no one else kinda freaked her out – but she'd left her binder full of notes on the shelf of her work space. There was _no way _she was leaving her stuff around for anyone to pick up.

She practically tiptoes across the linoleum flooring – her heels still clacked quietly on the surface every other step, which wasn't helpful – edging around gadgets and gizmos other people had left strewn across the work floor.

The sight of everyone's projects spread out everywhere almost made her turn and leave – if they trusted that nobody would mess with their stuff, then so should she – but the thought of leaving her notes here made her stomach churn slightly. She hadn't left her personal belongings where other people could easily get to them since middle school, and being a freshman in college surrounded by much smarter people hadn't changed that habit.

There way were; nestled into the far corner of the small space she'd been assigned, where all sorts of chemicals and equipment had been given to her to use at her transgression.

She sighed in relief, reaching up to grab them and pull them close to her chest as if they were a dear friend – which, in a way, they were – and began to turn away, intent on going home and getting a hot bath-

"What are you doing here?"

The voice caused her to spasm comically, jumping nearly half a foot off the ground and fumbling with her pink binder, thankfully catching it before it could go careening into a line of empty beakers.

She squeaked as she turned her head toward the source of the voice, eyes wide and mouth already moving. "I'm sorry; I know we're not supposed to be in here after hours, I just-"

She finally caught sight of the person who'd spoken, and she paused midsentence, eyes blinking behind her glasses rapidly.

He couldn't have been much older than her, really. He was tall – not taller than her; there weren't many people who were – with broad shoulders and a baseball cap perched on his head. He was currently sporting a half amused, half shocked deer-caught-in-headlights sort of look, mouth quirked slightly in a laugh but eyes wide in what looked like guilt.

Her mouth worked soundlessly for a moment, still trying to figure out how to work, before her brain suddenly connected and she coughed, "Uh, well, what are _you _doing here?!"

It was the only thing she could think of to say, but he flushed bright red and that guilty look was back as he took a step back, reaching a hand up to rub the back of his neck.

"I asked you first," he muttered, clearly embarrassed to have gotten caught but also clearly not ready to fess up that he'd done something wrong.

"I asked you second!" she shot back, feeling her mouth slowly turn upward in a smile of triumph. This was weird; she never really got the chance to talk to others about anything other than chemistry, and it seemed this guy didn't really realize this was almost exactly the sort of conversation a pair of eight year olds would have in a cartoon.

"I just-" he waved one hand absently at a work space she'd seen on the way in, littered with metal bits and wires, with what looked like the beginnings of a metal exoskeleton stuffed somewhere in the back, "I came back to get my data chip. I didn't think there would be someone in here."

"Uh," she paused, looking down at her binder and giggling awkwardly, "I came back to get my chemistry notes. I wasn't sure if the older students would do something to them or not."

"That's what I thought!" the guy blurted out, only to flush a little darker, as if he hadn't meant to say that aloud.

"You're a freshman?" she asked, a bit surprised – he didn't look that young, to be honest, but then again reading people wasn't exactly her forte.

"Yeah," he sighed, turning away to face his work table and pluck up something from it (she saw a flash of green as he put it in his pocket), "And everyone's been super nice so far, but there's always the off chance-"

"That someone's jealous of the new kid," she finished for him, making him looks up in surprise. She smiled sheepishly, holding her notes out a little. "Being a genius has its downsides."

"Yeah, it does," he said, blinking at her up and down as if just now taking in her appearance; blonde hair held back by a headband, wearing a colorful green top that matched her eyes and tan shorts over gaudy pink high heels that matched her glasses, with a pink purse to finish it all off. It wasn't her best outfit, but she'd been so nervous about her second day of classes she'd simply thrown on everything she found first (most people didn't like her outfits no matter how much time she put into them, so what the heck?).

"I don't believe we've met," he continued, walking toward her slowly, as if sensing her nervousness over being alone in the lab with some strange guy she'd never seen before – except she _had _seen him, at the entrance ceremony yesterday, with a wide spread group of friends around him.

He held out a hand to her once he was close enough, hat tilted back slightly and an easygoing smile on his face. "Name's Tadashi Hamada."

She smiled back, feeling a bit better now that she had a name to stick to the face. "I'm Honey Lemon. Ah, my name's not _really _Honey Lemon, that's just a nickname my friend gave me, but everyone calls me that, so, yeah. Honey Lemon." She rambled slightly, grabbing his hand and shaking it vigorously, matching his grin with a nervous smile.

"Nice to meet you, Honey," he chuckled, obviously finding her rambling funny (most people thought it was annoying).

The lab was really quiet at night. Unless there were two people inside wandering around after hours and sneaking past the janitors to avoid getting into trouble.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: My sister got me into this pairing and now there's no getting me out of it. Enjoy!  
>~Persephone<strong>


	2. Escort

Tadashi is kind enough to offer to escort her back to her car, which comes as a huge relief because just walking toward the lab alone had been stressful enough; walking away from it when it was cocooned in light and relatively safe is downright nerve-wracking. He has the decency to keep at least four feet in between them during the walk back at all times, which she appreciates, but she keeps her binder in a tight grip anyway just in case (she's heard enough on-campus rapist horror stories from her mother to last a life time).

Not that a binder would do much; even with her adequate self-defense skills and advantage of height, Tadashi definitely had the advantage of size, and with muscles like that there was no way he didn't at least work out once in a while.

When they finally reached the parking lot and left the light of the overhead light poles behind she tensed slightly, all of her mother's warnings coming to mind against her will and making her edgy. She relaxes minimally at the sight of her car, allowing one hand to drop into her purse to search for her keys.

"Well, this is me," she said, pausing almost ten feet away from her vehicle to smile at her escort, who turned to her with an equally nervous expression. He doesn't seem offended by her lack of trust and unwillingness to allow him near her escape route, which is a plus.

"Okay then. Glad I could help," he responds with a light shrug, holding out a hand to her. She stares for a solid ten seconds before realizing he's offering a handshake.

"Yeah! Uh, thanks for walking me back... and stuff," she muttered, face reddening as she grabbed his hand for a quick up-down jerk before letting go just as quickly.

He nodded in response, still not bothered by her nervous behavior, before turning away and walking back a ways, where a moped was balancing on a kickstand.

She stared after him for a moment, a little surprised - she'd half-expected him to ask her out, or flirt obnoxiously, or do a hundred other things male college freshman were infamous for doing - before smiling lightly and shaking her head, turning and walking the rest of the way to her car, managing to dig her keys out without rooting through her purse for an hour.

She casts a suspicious look around as she unlocks her car, doing the traditional check-the-back-seat inspection before climbing in and tossing her purse and binder into the passenger seat. She starts the car, clicks her seat belt on, starts backing the car out... when a burst of impulsive curiosity makes her look over toward the guy who'd proven her fears about college wrong tonight.

He's on the moped, kickstand up and helmet on his head but engine still off, looking down at his phone with an exasperated expression, most likely answering a text.

She bites her lip - she's never been one for talking to other people, strangers or not - but he'd been polite and nonintrusive and kind enough to help her out despite her obvious misgivings.

So, with a bitten lip and a half worried sigh, she pulls up behind him and opens her window with a quiet call, "Hey Tadashi!"

He turns around, looking more than a bit surprised to see her.

She gives what she hopes is a thankful smile. "See you tomorrow!" is all she can think of, but he grins at her, so she supposes it must have been the right thing to say.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Honey might seem more than a little out of character in this, but being a socially awkward girl in college meeting some random guy at night with no one around is an incredibly awkward and more than a little stressful situation; if I were in her place, no matter how cute Tadashi is, I probably would have kicked him in the balls and run away screaming. I'm sort of just projecting my own fears about college onto Honey. Maybe it's wrong, but it's true. I'm never going anywhere alone and no amount of the 'not all guys' speech can change that.  
>~Persephone<strong>


	3. Gab Fest

Luckily, tomorrow was Wednesday, which meant she didn't have class until noon in the super advanced chemistry lab the Institute proudly boasted, allowing her an extra hour to sleep in.

However, at exactly 11:02, she walked into the college's extensive library like she had every morning since school started, ignoring her brain's tired protests and heading to an inconspicuous corner to pull out her notes and work a little before class started.

It was a good idea in theory – the library was usually a quiet and relaxing study place – but she'd never had much luck on her side.

She'd barely pulled out her notes and a pencil before a rather loud voice came from behind her, practically yelling, "Heeeey, Honey!"

She barely resisted jumping in her seat, having half-expected this interruption. An arm wrapped around her shoulders, and she didn't hold back the smile fighting its way onto her face as she was pulled into a one armed hug by the shorter male.

"Hey Fred!" Though she was quieter, her greeting was no less exuberant as her best friend slid around the table and plopped himself into a chair across from her, propping his feet on the wooden surface well away from her notes.

She could almost feel several glares searing in their direction, but for once the negative attention did not do much to faze her; it was hard to be scared in Fred's presence.

"Haven't seen you in a while. What's up?" she asked, absently flipping her binder shut once again with an inward sigh. She supposed she'd go over the formulas again later; there was no way she would be getting any work down now.

"Oh, you know; flipping signs, eating burgers, breaking hearts, the usual," the comic book enthusiast said casually, leaning back in his chair almost dangerously far, lazy smile on his face.

"Oh yeah, that reminds me; how'd things go with Brandon? He seemed nice," she hummed thoughtfully, recalling her friend's latest fling he'd mentioned earlier last week. Most of their conversations, when not directed at chemistry or comics, often surrounded the duos lackluster victories in the dating world. She could tell by the way the smile turned into a scowl that things did _not _end well.

"Oh, he was _great; _he just thinks kaiju movies are for kids and superheroes are for the world of fiction," he grumbled sourly, rolling his eyes dramatically.

She winced in sympathy. "That bad, huh? Did he even pay for dinner?" she questioned.

"Nope," Fred said, popping the 'p' loudly.

"Sorry," she sighed, leaning back in her chair with a thoughtful frown.

She and Fred were old friends from middle school; they'd met on the outskirts of the gymnasium while both had lagged behind most of the class, too tired from running laps to properly introduce themselves until later, and they'd slowly grown closer as the school's outcasts, Honey because of her abnormal intelligence and knack for chemicals, and Fred because of his obsession with comic books and tendency to flirt with both girls and boys alike.

They were, admittedly, an odd duo, but Fred's enthusiasm for old monster movies was infectious, and he often encouraged her when her projects didn't go well – even going so far as stating that she looked 'adorkable' whenever she was working on something – so she figured they were good friends.

They'd attempted to date only once, with everything ending in an awkward cry-laugh session after a particularly feels-inducing movie where the monster died saving the planet and an unspoken agreement to remain only friends because hey, they worked well together and why the hell risk that for some stupid romance?

She was pulled out of her thoughts when Fred cried enthusiastically, "You don't need to worry about it; I've already found a new rebound crush! You know that cute brunette in you chemistry class?"

"Tyler?" she asked, tilting her head a bit to recall the only guy in her class who actually matched her in height.

"No, no, the girl with the tattoo shaped sort of like a lemon!"

"Bonnie?"

He nodded in affirmation.

"Sorry to break it to you, but I'm pretty sure I saw her making out with her girlfriend before class yesterday," she said, resisting the urge to wince.

"Ah, boo! Take all the fun out of life…" he grumbled, sinking lower into his chair dejectedly.

She reached out a hand to pat his shoe reassuringly. "You'll find someone someday," she said encouragingly.

"Yeah, I know. But hey; enough about my love life! What about you?" Fred cried, suddenly allowing his feet to rest on the floor and scooting his chair forward to face her directly, an eager smile on his face.

She blinked at him. "Me?"

"Yes, you! Seen any cute guys around lately? Or cute girls? I know you don't swing that way, but keep an open mind-"

"_No, _I have not seen any cute guys lately. And I _still _don't swing that way," she interrupted, feeling a slight warmth crawling into her cheeks as Fred laughed quietly and winked at her playfully.

"Aw, come on! You're telling me that in the two days you've been here you haven't seen a _single _guy you'd go out with?" he questioned suspiciously, leaning forward until they were practically nose to nose.

She felt her face get even redder – not because of the closeness, Fred tended to do this all the time – but because her mind brought up only one image to coincide with the question; dark hair underneath a baseball cap, kind brown eyes and a wide smile.

"Uh… I-I uh," she stuttered, leaning back in an attempt to avoid eye contact, but it was far too late.

Fred gasped loudly. "You _did _meet a nice guy! What's his name? Is he cute? Will I have to beat him away from you with a stick in the near future?" he asked rapidly, both hands on the table and body practically on top of the table as he leaned all the way over into Honey's personal space.

"You sound like one of those annoying girls from the chick flicks!" she protested, pushing him back slightly until he was at least in his seat again.

"Who cares?! I want details, girl!" he demanded, grinning at her encouragingly.

People were definitely staring at them now, and a few whispering voices were asking where the hell the librarian was. She shrank a little at that, feeling a familiar uncomfortable rock in her gut weigh her down.

"Alright, I'll tell you! Just be quiet!" she hissed, hoping to avoid losing the only good study spot she could find in this school. Luckily, Fred acquiesced, sitting calmly in his seat, eager to hear her tale like a little kid sitting with a grandparent in front of a fireplace.

She waited until their audience had dissipated slightly, trying to collect her thoughts. She hadn't expected to be discussing this today…

"Well," she began hesitantly, "It happened last night…"

It took a while to recount the tale of the forgotten binder and her return to the lab in the middle of the night (he scolded her for that; "Honey, night time is when the freaks hand around campus!"), the meeting, him escorting her to her car (Aww~!) and their final good-bye.

"He sounds cute and dateable and perfect. I say go for it." Fred stated quite calmly as soon as she finished, throwing her for a loop.

"Wait, what?" she gasped, flustered.

"Um, hello? He walked you back to your car instead of leaving you alone for predators. He respected your personal space and didn't use a single lame pick-up line. If he's single and straight and smart there's no way he could say no your pretty face. You should totally ask him out!" he exclaimed enthusiastically, throwing his arms wide as if to prove his point.

"You know I'm not good with that sort of thing!" she hissed back, feeling the blush climb back up into her cheeks.

"So _he_ can ask _you _out! I'll pester him about it; what's mister gentleman's name again?"

"Tadashi, and I highly doubt-!"

Fred gasped loudly, interrupting her protest. "Hold up; Tadashi, as in Tadashi Hamada? He's the really cute science prodigy nerd guy that just started going here, right? Man, Honey, you hit the jackpot!" he exclaimed mock jealously.

"I doubt he would appreciate some random stranger coming up to tell him to ask out a girl he's only just met!" she protested, waving her hands quickly for emphasis.

"I'm no stranger; I met him on Monday next to the coffee shop. I liked his hat. He complimented my costume, which I of course thanked him for _profusely_. He didn't seem interested in me, but he was a nice guy. And I'm not going to tell him to ask you out _right now;_ I'm not a complete idiot! I'll just be your wingman; be his bro, learn his likes and dislikes, help you scheme out a way to have a perfect date with him, the works. But if you take too long I _will _step in. Heck, if he doesn't swing your way I'll ask him out myself; guy's got a cute bu-"

"Okay! I get it!" she cut him off, blushing harder than ever as he laughed innocently as her face turned crimson.

After internally freaking out for a moment – because she hadn't noticed that, she _hadn't, _she _had not _been staring at his butt – she composed herself and looked over at her friend, still blushing faintly. "Do you really think he'll like me?" she asked tentatively.

Fred grinned, leaning forward again to confidently grasp her shoulders. "He'd have to be a brain dead idiot not to like you. Or gay. If he's option two, you can be sure I'll give him a talking to while we're-"

"_Fred!_"

"Sorry."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I headcanon Fred as bisexual. Sue me.  
>~Persephone<strong>


End file.
